Editing Madrid, Maine (section)

==History==
It was part of an extensive tract of land purchased from [[Massachusetts]] about 1790 by Jonathan Phillips of [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]], then acquired by his agent, Jacob Abbott from [[Wilton, New Hampshire]].<ref name=Coolidge>{{Cite book  | last = Coolidge  | first = Austin J.|author2=John B. Mansfield  | title = A History and Description of New England| publisher = A.J. Coolidge  | year = 1859| location = Boston, Massachusetts| page = [https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_OcoMAAAAYAAJ/page/n239 205]| url = https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_OcoMAAAAYAAJ| quote = coolidge mansfield history description new england 1859.  }}</ref> First settled about 1807 or 1808, it was incorporated as a town in 1836 and named after [[Madrid]], [[Spain]].<ref>[http://newenglandtowns.org/maine/madrid Hayward's ''New England Gazetteer of 1839'']</ref> In 1854, it was the site of Maine's first [[gold]] strike.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=1OYKQG2j5kkC&dq=Madrid%2C%20Maine%20gold%20strike%201854&pg=PA66 Gail Underwood Parker, ''It Happened in Maine''; The Globe Pequot Press, Guilford, Maine 2004]</ref>

Although Madrid's northern [[topography]] is mountainous, other parts suited [[Tillage|cultivation]]. In 1837, when the population was 351, farms harvested 3,387 [[bushel]]s of [[wheat]].

Industry developed because the [[waterfall|falls]] in the [[Sandy River (Kennebec River)|Sandy River]] provided [[water power]] for [[water mill|mills]]: these included three [[sawmill]]s, a [[gristmill]], two [[Clapboard (architecture)|clapboard]] machines, and two [[roof shingle|shingle]] machines. The town was noted for producing [[lumber]] and [[carriage]]s. By 1859, the population was 404.<ref name="Coolidge"/> In 1880, it had reached 437.<ref>{{Citation
  | last = Varney
  | first = George J.
  | title = Gazetteer of the state of Maine. Madrid
  | place = Boston
  | publisher = Russell
  | year = 1886
  | url = http://history.rays-place.com/me/madrid-me.htm }}
</ref>

But in the late 20th century, the population declined, as industry changed and the young moved to larger cities. In April 2000, the town of Madrid disincorporated. Citing "[[apathy]]", its government was dissolved, and Madrid became part of the [[unincorporated area#U.S. Census Bureau|unorganized territory]] of [[East Central Franklin, Maine|East Central Franklin]].